Residents in North Korea have endured chronic electricity shortages for decades, a direct result of government mismanagement of critical infrastructure. Following reports of decreased power provision in some parts of Pyongyang, sources in the the neighboring city of Pyongsong report similar circumstances in that region.

“Electricity is provided in the morning for one hour and two hours in the evening,” a South Pyongan Province-based source told Daily NK on May 1. “And now because the power supply is going to the farms, there likely won’t be much electricity going around in the evenings, either.”

Farming areas are given priority over urban areas for electricity from mid-May, when the country’s “planting battle” begins.

This winter North Korean residents saw diminished energy distribution relative to last year, according to the source, who noted that “the power was only on for three hours on February 16 (Kim Jong Il’s birthday).”

He said that most homes and businesses lack reliable electricity, while historical sites honoring the Kim family are provided with electricity 24-hours a day.

Consequently, the poor electricity situation in the country has driven up demand for solar panels. ......